July 20, 2012

Understanding the Culinary Movement: Clean Eating

Organic, Natural, Slow foods, those new words are reshaping the way most of us think about food and sparked a new culinary movement known as “clean eating.” This simple lifestyle based on whole organic food and regular exercise, can easily be tailored to meet almost any individual’s needs.

So, what does it involve and how to implement it in our daily life? Clean eating simply means avoiding processed foods, preservatives, additives, artificial flavors, artificial colors and added sugars, instead focusing on unprocessed, whole foods that are nutrient-rich and often organically grown. Generally, clean-eating diets are low in saturated fat and high in fiber, making them exceedingly heart-healthy as well as protective against type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and many types of cancer. As a general rule, clean eaters strive to eliminate all prepared frozen meals, desserts, and side dishes along with convenience, boxed, and canned foods. Off-limit ingredients include highly processed high fructose corn syrup; man-made ingredients such as artificial sweeteners; margarines; trans fats; artificial colors and flavors; unnecessary food additives such as excess salt, sugar, and corn syrup; and chemical preservatives. Six small meals is a concept utilized on the clean eat diet. The idea is that six small meals prevents loss of energy throughout the day, stabilizes insulin levels, improves metabolism and prevents overeating.

Regular physical activity is another important component of the clean concept. The clean eating lifestyle is an active one that advocates exercising five or six times per week. Not only will this regular routine tone the body, strengthen muscles, keep bones strong, and improve skin condition, but it can also help people sleep better, boost their mood, build a more efficient immune system to ward off illness, and curb their appetite.

Eating Clean is not a fad; it’s a way of life.

When you Eat Clean your body will react by losing weight if you need to lose, maintaining a healthy weight if that’s where you are, and even gaining weight if you are too skinny. But regardless of whether you want to lose, maintain or gain, you will feel better than you ever have before.